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6 Options for Snack Rotation

As VBS days and schedules are decreased leaders have to become creative with the time that remains. I once had a VBS leader tell me that since she only had two hours per day she had to leave something out, and since Bible study and application activities took an hour, she chose to leave Bible study out. You are probably having the same reaction now I had then.

Once I had picked my teeth up off the floor, I attempted to help her find other ways to stretch the time to insure Bible study remained the central focus of each day. Here are six ideas I have collected over the years of observing churches explore ways to creatively stretch time with snack rotation.

Combine snack time with recreation. Serve a simple snack such as cookies that can be eaten quickly and with minimal clean up.

Combine snack time with missions. Have snacks set out so kids can begin eating as soon as they arrive. Show the mission video at the beginning of the session and encourage kids to finish eating by the time the video ends. The remainder of the time can be used for learning activities.

Serve snacks at the conclusion of the day and invite parents to join the fun. This provides a great opportunity for church members to connect with unchurched parents.

Serve snacks between worship rally and rotations. If possible set up snack tables outside the worship rally so kids can pick up snacks and eat on their way to their first rotation. Obviously this would probably not work for preschoolers and younger kids.

For evening Bible schools serve a simple and quick dinner prior to the start of the evening instead of breaking for snacks later.

Serve simple snacks and packaged drinks in the Bible study room. Snacks can be consumed in approximately five minutes which is about the time it would take to walk to the snack rotation site.

Join the conversation: how have you been creative with snack rotation?

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We serve a simple supper prior to VBS each evening which is a big help to the parents who are coming from work. Five ladies arrive early and prepare the meals - hamburgers/hot dogs, spaghetti/salad, chicken nuggets/macaroni and cheese, etc. It is a great time of fellowship as we prepare our hearts and stomachs for worship! Then they serve something cold after the recreation rotation.

Our Bible study for all classes comes immediately after the opening assembly before any of the rotations begin. The children seem to be more alert during this time so we want to have the primary focus of Bible school first before any other activity.

We are a country church. Our VBS runs on a 2 hour nightly session. We have our snacks/Arts & Crafts/Restroom break in a 30 minute time frame which works really well. Within less than hour all 4 classes have completed it. Our classes operate different than most. Our teachers prepare one lesson for one sight and teach it all week. The kids rotate classrooms. Each night they have a different teacher. Missions is studied during our Opening Assembly each night and Bible Study is done in the kids classes each night along with their lessons. It works great!

For the past 3 years we have had bible study in our rotations. One set of 2 teachers in one classroom teaches all kids 1-4 grades This way we decorate ONE class and our grade teachers are rotation leaders snd do not have to study and prepare for the lesson. It is much easier to get volunteers now Sbd the kids really enjoy it better as the lesson is more in depth.